Bubbles Are Always Okay. Especially This One

Bubbly wine is never a downer. Even if you are a beginner at discerning the fine points of the drink, you know enough to know that bubbles are special. There is Champagne from France, sekt from Germany, Cava from Spain and good ol' sparkling wine from the US of A. In Italy, Prosecco provides the effervescence. 

Prosecco is too often written off as a simple, fun wine - a way to be festive without blowing a paycheck on big-name Champagne. Many big-name Proseccos unfortunately feed that fire, giving a fizz and nothing more. Le Vigne di Alice is one producer that does Prosecco right.

I bought a couple of bottles of A Fondo Valdobbiadene Prosecco a couple of years ago for a family event, solely on the strength of the name - it's my wife's family name. Here we are finally getting around to popping the cork on the final bottle. 

Valdobbiadene is a town just below the Alpine-Dolomite areas of Veneto in northern Italy. The cool climate there is perfect for growing the Glera grape, the main fruit of Prosecco. 

Fondo, in Italian, refers to the bottom, and in the case of this wine, it specifically references the lees, or spent yeast cells, in the bottom of the fermenter. Contact with the lees is important to give a fuller mouthfeel to the wine and more complexity. A fondo, as a phrase, translates as "deeply," according to Google. This could be the winemaker's way of saying that his wine is worth more than simply raising a toast or tossing back some frizzante. The A Fondo Prosecco hits only 11% abv in alcohol and costs about $20, if memory serves. 

Here we have a Prosecco that is more frizzante than bubbly. It is also cloudy in its yellow tint. The time spent on the lees added depth and complexity that is hard to find in a Prosecco. The nose is downright funky, with a yeastiness that would turn bread green with envy. There are huge mineral notes as well and the green apple smell is almost completely overwhelmed. This wine is not sweet, as is the custom with Prosecco. It is bone dry, in fact, with no residual sugar. The palate has a gripping acidity and a savory salinity that combine to form a Prosecco that is more like a pensive study than a party favor. 

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Bubbles From Italy - Valdo Prosecco

Bubbles are often leaned on for special occasions, to make them more special - remember New Year's Eve?  You shouldn't need any help making Valentine's Day more special, but if you do, try something bubbly.  Let’s say you've already broken the bank on a gift for your sweetheart, and you need bubbles that are a little more reasonably priced than Champagne, but still festive and fun.  Meet Prosecco, Italy's favorite sparkling wine.

Valdo was founded in 1926, in Italy's Veneto region, the town of Valdobbiadene, then bought by the Bolla family in 1938.  Winemaker Gianfranco Zanon makes some really nice Prosecco there.

Valdo Marca Oro Brut Prosecco DOC  

This wine was made from 100% Glera grapes, grown in the Prosecco DOC in Veneto, in the northeastern part of Italy.  Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks and the wine got three months of Charmat aging, one month in the bottle.  Alcohol is at the typical 11% abv and the retail price is $15.

The fine bubbles sit on the straw-yellow wine and dissipate rather quickly.  The nose gives aromas of apples, candied apricots and peaches.  The palate offers delicious citrus, apple and mineral flavors, with a hint of custard on the finish.  Delightful. 

Valdo Marca Oro Prosecco DOC Rosé

A mix of 90% Glera and 10% Pinot Noir grapes, this Prosecco Rosé has a lovely pink hue and persistent perlage, those tiny bubbles.  Alcohol is no higher than 11% abv, while the retail price is $15.

This pink bubbly shows nice, fine bubbles and offers a beautiful nose of cherry, strawberry, pear, apple and a hint of citrus.  The palate carries those same fruit flavors, with a bit more lemon than on the nose.  The acidity is perfectly juxtaposed against the wine's sweetness.  Have it with anything, but it will pair best with Mediterranean dishes. 

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Three Proseccos

Ca di Prata Prosecco makes Italian sparkling wines which are imported and distributed by Mack & Schühle, a German company with a U.S. base of operations in Miami.  I was provided with three different Proseccos for review, which are listed below.  

People sometimes don't think that wine importers are very important, that all they do is have crates of wine shipped in from who-knows-where to be peddled on the shelves in the lower reaches.  The best importers are those with a nose for wine, who can sniff out good stuff through endless trials, then bring the product to us.  Mack and Schühle are not only importers, they also produce wine in Italy and Spain and distribute other wines globally.

The Ca di Prata Prosecco DOC Brut is made from 85% Glera grapes and 15% Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay.  Alcohol stays low at 11% abv and the wine retails for $16.

This wine is fun in a bottle.  The apple aromas on the nose translate directly to apple flavors on the palate.  The bubbles are lively and festive, which is about all you can say about bubbles.  It's great as an aperitif, and it was great with some slightly peppery ginger cookies.  Enjoy!

The Ca di Prata Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry is also 85% Glera and 15% other varieties.  Still a low alcohol reading at 11% abv the retail is a bit higher, at $18.

Hints of apple, citrus and a floral note make the nose, while the bubbles are frothy and fairly quick to dissipate.  The palate shows more minerality than the DOC bottling, and a more complex flavor profile which features earth, spice and Meyer lemon.  The minerals stick around the longest after the sip.  I snacked with the wine, and it went well with pretzel bits stuffed with peanut butter, although it went better with some mixed olives.

The Ca di Prata Prosecco DOC Rosé Extra Dry Millesimato is also 85% Glera, but with the remaining 15% composed of Pinot Nero.  Millesimato also means that at least 85% of the grapes came from the same vintage, in this case 2019.  Alcohol remains at 11% abv, and the retail sticker splits the difference at $17.

This pink bubbly offers a ton of froth, which dissipates rather quickly.  The nose shows strawberries, cherries and red apples.  The palate is fruity and fun, and there is more than enough acidity to make this a refreshing sip or a nice wine to pair with a salad or seafood dish.  It’s also great with aperitif munchies or a cheese and salami plate.

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Two "Cru" Proseccos From Valdobbiadene

Virtual wine tasting events are no stranger to me, especially in the era of COVID-19.  Get the box, open the box, log on and taste from home.  No social distancing to strain the process, no mask needed.  I was invited to take part in a Zoom gathering recently along with two dozen other wine writers.  

Most of the wines in the virtual events have achieved the Tre Bicchieri - three glasses - status of Gambero Rosso International, the wine guide’s highest accolade.  The interactive event was hosted by Lorenzo Ruggeri, the wine guide's international editor, with comments along the two-hour journey from each winery’s representative.  Ruggeri spoke from Rome at sunset, which was mid-morning in Los Angeles.

Biancavigna Conegliano Valdobbiadene Rive di Soligo Extra Brut 2019

The Rive di Soligo estate vineyard sits at an elevation of more than 1200 feet, in the hills of Conegliano, Valdobbiaddene, in San Gallo near Soligo.  Indigenous Selections says the "rive" refers to the steepness of the land, some at a 70% slope.  They call it, unofficially, a Cru Prosecco, with the Glera grapes grown on 25-year-old vines planted in the rocky, clay soil.  

BiancaVigna is owned by Elena Moschetta, with winemaking duties handled by her brother Enrico Moschetta.  Elena, who spoke in the virtual event, hadn't intended to make a career of wine, but she eventually answered the door when her destiny knocked on it.  Alcohol for the wine comes in at an easy 11.5% abv, with an average retail price of $14.

The wine has a pale yellow color and smells of apples and citrus.  The bubbles are frothy and reconstitute nicely with a swirl of the glass.  The palate brings a healthy dose of lemon and lime, with green apples also appearing in the mix.  The acidity is wonderful, adding to the pleasure of the sip and allowing for a variety of pairing options.

Borgoluce Valdobbiadene Rive di Collalto Extra Brut 2019

The Borgoluce winery was founded in 938.  Today's Proprietors are quite distant from the era of three-digit years.  They are a mother and her daughters - Trinidad, Giuliana, Ninni & Caterina Collalto.  Winemaker Elisa Confortin rounds out the female team to create this 2019 Rive di Collalto Extra Brut Prosecco Superiore, made from Glera grapes grown on the steepest slopes of the Collalto family's 160 acres of vineyards.  The wine was made sparkling through the Charmat method.  Ninni Collalto Facchinetti spoke during the event and represented her winery in a most excellent way.

2019 is the first vintage of Rive "Extra Brut;" which kicks in at an alcohol level of 11.5% abv.  The winery says their vineyard's soils are clay with a high concentration of calcium carbonate, on the steepest part of hill, at the southern edge of Valdobbiadene near the Piave river.  The wine was aged on the lees - the spent yeast cells - for five months.  The retail price is about $24.

The Borgoluce people say this Prosecco takes time in the glass to give up its full expression, but I like the citrusy, yeasty nose right away.  Lemon and minerals dominate the nose, while the acidity provides a ton of refreshment.  It paired well with a vegetable korma as well as an avocado and pepper sandwich.

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This Prosecco Brings More To Table Than Fun

Virtual wine tasting events are no stranger to me, especially in the era of COVID-19.  Get the box, open the box, log on and taste from home.  No social distancing to strain the process, no mask needed.  I am invited to take part in another online gathering of wine writers.  The series of events are staged by Gambero Rosso International.  All the wines to be tasted have achieved the Tre Bicchieri - three glasses - status, the wine guide's highest accolade.

Here is a sneak peek of today's first wine - the 2019 Bortolomiol Valdobbiadene Brut Ius Naturae Prosecco Superiore DOCG.

The Ius Naturae Prosecco Superiore features Glera grapes grown organically in the heart of Valdobbiadene, in the Parco della Filandetta area of northern Italy.  It is a Millesimato wine, meaning that the grapes all came from the same vintage.  The wine is made in the Martinotti-Charmat method for sparkling wine, in which the secondary fermentation occurs in tanks.  The alcohol content sits at 11.5% abv and the wine sells for around $14.

This bubbly is fun, as Prosecco is supposed to be.  It carries a pale golden color in the glass and gives up a nose that reminds me of lemon drops.  After a bit, green apples and apricots poke through the citrus extravaganza.  The bubbles are nice, but they don't last long.  On the palate, that promise of green apple shines through, and the acidity is as sharp as a tack.  Pair it with anything.  I chose pecan sugar cookies, butter crackers and hummus, and it worked every time.

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